Posts by observer144

Tech renders iconic rockers Kiss genuinely immortal

Great, I'll have to buy a new version of the White Album again.

Behold! The first line of defence for 25% of the US nuclear stockpile: Dolphins

So long and thanks for all the fission!

US decommissions massive Cold War nuke

There is a shelf-life. The fission components (i.e. uranium and plutonium) have half-lives. This usually impacts just the pit (the core of the fission weapon), but might also impact the tamper and the casing and "spark plug" of the fusion side of the device too.

Those typically need to be replaced or remanufactured to filter out and purify the metals.

Over time, the half-life will degrade the weapon to the point where it will not go critical, thus rendering it into a dirty, but conventional bomb.

"While the B53 may have been one of the largest US bombs, it's a lightweight compared to the thenSoviet Unions AN602, or Tsar bomb, which is thought to be the largest nuclear device ever exploded. The Tsar had a nominal yield of 100 megatons, later halved, and would have created a 2.3km fireball from its ignition point testing showed."

Hey Reg, what's with the passive syntax?

1. "which is thought to be the largest" - no, it WAS the largest. That is not in dispute.

2. "and would have crreate" - no, it did create a fireball that size. It was tested and they know how big it was. What's with the passive tense talking about something that already happened?